San Francisco has some of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the world, one of which is most definitely its famous gay 'hood, the CASTRO! Yesterday (nursing a bit of a hangover from a wild karaoke party the night before), I went to pick up my little boo, Freeman, and we headed out to lunch in the most colorful neighborhood in the city.

rainbow flags on every light post

And I really did have the most handsome little lunch date:

always a hit with the gays

Walking around the Castro, one is likely to stumble upon men walking tiny dogs in sweaters, shirtless bears in the windows of bars, and a plethora of sex toys in shop windows (yesterday even I came across something I didn't know existed . . . and that's sayin' a lot). I'm always amused by the hilarious store names in the Castro:

on the left, my personal fave: Does Your Mother Know

and on the right, Hand Job Nails & Spa

A few months ago, I was driving home from babysitting Freeman, and was at a stop sign at 18th and Castro, when a totally naked man crossed the street (along with several other pedestrians who were clothed). Now, this would not be weird at all had it been the Folsom St. Fair or Gay Pride weekend . . . but it was an average Wednesday evening around 8:30 pm.

We almost couldn’t believe our eyes when these scorching images of Kenza hit our inboxes, brightening our day in the dreary London rain.

The shoot, for the prestigious US publication Sports Illustrated, got us in the mood for summer and already contemplating our bikini diets. To see Kenza’s full story with the Sports Illustrated team, as well as some exclusive behind the scenes images check out:

So I just read my friend Jessie's post (if you don't follow her blog, you should--we've become good friends & I can't wait to meet her in June!) in which she gives us a taste of her iTunes.

Remember that facebook survey that went around for a while with prompts, and you were supposed to answer with random songs from iTunes shuffle? That was the only facebook survey I enjoyed. Cause I love hearing all about what people are listening to!

It's very rare to find someone who listens to one genre of music. Most of us are more dynamic than that, and therefore have fascinating iTunes libraries!

Our boys and girls escaped the madness of London Fashion to kick back at the Model Sanctuary in Convent Garden. They were treated to massages, facials and manicures, as well as complementary food and smoothies. So we'd like to say a massive thank-you to the Model sanctuary for keeping the Elite lovelies in tip-top condition for fashion week!

As you might guess, there is only one thing on that list that interests me. But given that I'm babysitting tonight (after I leave school) and quarter grades are due tomorrow at 3 pm, looks like I better get crackin. So I'm off to attend to this:

Elite boy Paul Bocheappears in the March issue of German Vogue. He looks amazing in the retro Elvis Presley inspired shoot, that see's androgyny at it's best with a mix of girls and boys all paying homage to 'the King'.

Would you believe that it was only in 2005 that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled out the death penalty for juveniles? Until then, kids could be sentenced to death for crimes they committed.

However, no such law has been established when it comes to life sentences. There are thousands of kids in the U.S. who have been given the infamous LWOP sentence: life without parole. Kids as young as 14 have been sentenced to prison until their natural deaths, without any chance for parole.

This evening, I went to the San Francisco Main Public Library to see a screening of a new documentary called Me Facing Life: Cyntoia's Story.

from

It was an incredibly compelling account of Cyntoia Brown, a Tennessee girl who, frankly, was never dealt a fair hand. Her mother gave birth to her at age 16, and confesses that she drank heavily every day while she was pregnant. After Cyntoia was born, her mother began using crack cocaine and prostituting, resulting in danger & instability for Cyntoia. According to psychologists, ages 0-3 are crucial when it comes to forming attachment, trust, decision-making, etc.

Cyntoia was eventually adopted by a friend of the family, but was sexually abused, repeatedly, starting at age 7. It comes as no surprise that by her early teens, she was doing drugs and hanging out with the wrong crowd.

One night, having escaped her violent pimp, Cyntoia walked to a local gas station, where she was picked up by a 43 year old man looking for sex. He took her back to his place and showed her several of his guns, and after he grabbed her forcefully, she shot and killed him.

Cyntoia, at the hearing to determine whether she would be tried as an adult

In the end, she was tried in adult court, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison. Producer/Director Daniel Birman explores issues of biology, abuse, and social factors as they pertain to crime and sentencing.

I urge you to watch the trailer here, and try to catch the documentary when it airs on PBS!

We took a break from the madness of fashion week last night, to celebrate the success of our girls and boys this London Fashion Week. We partied at Mortons Club in Mayfair and a great time was had by all, for more pictures check out our Facebook page.

Our 6th Annual All Girls Valentine's Sleepover could not have been more fun (okay it could have, but only if my far away peeps could have attended, and/or if Tim Riggins had been our personal exotic dancer). There were 14 or 15 of us total (some on the early side, some on the late), and we did not disappoint in terms of girliness; we talked about boys, friendship, bras, and birth control. Ha!

Anna, Myisha, and me drinking Valentinis and eating cupcakes

fake flower says wassup to real flower. holla!

in my right hand: The Slammer wine

in my left hand: Poet's Row wine

pretty much sums up my life

triptych with Diana :)

at my house, everyone is offered a snuggie

Ellie and Anna were my only takers

Erica, on the left, is my next door neighbor

Yael, on the right, is the life of the party

And did I mention we had gift bags with red eye masks (thanks Faiza!), candy heart bracelets, heart notepads, and love lotto tickets?? I already can't wait till next year!

We recently caught up with Elite beauty Ming Xi and got the low-down on her off-catwalk style. We're loving her take on traditional monochrome stripes with a splash of scarlet. The shirt and boxy jacket give this classic look, an on trend twist. What can we say she is a girl after our own heart with a wardrobe to envy.